Knockdown desk.



No. 723,464.v l PATENTED MAR. 24, 1903. J. HOLMES.

KNOGKDOWN DESK.

APPLIUATION FILED 001,2, 1902.

N0 MODEL.

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UNITED STATES FATENT OFFICE.

JAMES HOLMES, OF JAMESTOvVN, NEW. YORK.

KNOCKDOWN DESK.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 723,464, dated March 24, 1903. Application led October 2, 1902. Serial No. 125,642. (No model.)

To cr/ZZ whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, .I AMES HOLMES, a`citizen 'of the United States, residing at Jamestown, in the county of Ohautauquaiand State of New York, have invented certain new and u'sef'ul Improvements in Knockdown Desks; and I do hereby declare that the following isa full, clear, and exact description of the same, reference being had to the annexed drawings,

1b vmaking a part of this specification, and to the letters of reference marked thereon.

The present invention has for its object to provide a knockdown desk in which the legs thereof may be readily attached and detached 'I5 from the body of the desk and when connect- 2o with economy of space and materially lessening the cost of shipment and with less liability of breakage,v thereby presenting a knockdown desk that when set up will present the same outward appearance, strength, and durability of the desks in which the legsare built in the body and not removable.

The invention consists in a knockdown desk 'constructed substantially as shown in the 'drawings and hereinafter described 'and 3o claimed.

Figure l of the drawings is a perspective view of a knockdown desk embodying my invention,showing the top and the drawer thereof partly broken away at the corners; Fig.'2,

3 5 'a perspective view of one of the end sections of the body of the desk on an enlarged scale; v

Fig. 3, a perspective View showing the upper portion of the leg where it j oinsthe body of the desk; Fig. 4, a similar view of one of the 4o rear legs; Fig. 5, a detail sectional view of the body of the desk, showing a portion of one of the rear legs and the means employedV for detachably connecting the back section to the body.

The body of the desk is preferably constructed of the two end sections A, the top section B, the bottom section C, which forms the bottom of the desk, and the back section D,'a suitable drawer being provided, as indi- 5o cated at E.

to which are detachably connected the front legs F and the rear legs G, which legs may be of any suitable shape and either ornamental or plain, as found desirable.

The legs are formed with extensions a at their upper ends, and at the juncture of the leg with the extension is asupporting-shoulder b to support and sustain the corners of the desk-body when the legs are connected thereto, said legs being provided with suitable dowels c, adapted to engage the dowelholes cl in the end sections A at both the front and rear of the desk-body.

The extensions a of the legs F are formed with inwardly-extending'ianges e at right angle to the extension, so that when the legs are in place on the desk-body the flanges of the legs will embrace and cover the front edge of the end sections A, as shown in Eig. l of the drawings.

The extensions to the front legs F are of a length equal to the height of the drawer-front, and the upper edgeA of the extension has a bevel o to correspond with the inclined edge p of the two end sections A when the legs are in place on the desk-body. The extension ct to the front legs, together with the flange e, voverlaps the side of the end sections A and the front edge thereof, respectively, which perfectly covers the front corner of the desk and not only forms a iinish thereto, but materially strengthens that portion of the desk where the front legs join the body thereof and also holds the leg more rmly in place and forms a rigid connection be'tween the deskbody and leg.

The outer sides of the end sections A are provided with strengthening-strips j' at the rear edge thereof, which strips also form continuations of the rear legs G when said legs are connected to the desk-body.

' The legs G are made sufficiently short in length so that when removed from' the desk both the front and rear legs may be securely wrapped and packed within the body of the' desk.

The extensions d to the rear legs G are provided with flanges g, which overlap the lower ends of the strengthening-strips f to form an overlapping joint between the two.

The extensions of both the front and rear IOO legs are formed with screw-holes h t', and the end sections of the desk-body are formed with screw-holesj 7c, which will be on line with the screw-holes in the leg extensions when said legs are in place on the desk-body, so that suitable screws Zwill engage the holes in the eudsectionsandlegextensions. These screws serve a different purpose than the ordinary fastening-screw in that the screws draw the dowels tightly into the dowel-holes and also the inner side of the leg extensions tightly against the side of the end sections of the desk-body. Some means is absolutely necessary to obtain this end, and I have shown what I consider the simplest means in the form of a screw to draw the dowels and leg extensions to their place, although any means may be employed that will serve the purpose, there being a coaction between the screws or other means employed and the dowel-fastenings to form a perfectly secure and firm and rigid joint between the leg and the body of the desk. The screws, as will be seen, enter from the inside of the desk-body, thereby concealing every means of fastening the legs to the body when the drawer is in place, thereby having no appearance of the legs being detachable, but, on the contrary, have the appearance of being built in the body and not removable. The screws being connected from the inside of the desk-body and being so near the rear edge of the end sections, it is necessary in order to remove or replace the screws to first remove the back section D of the desk-body, so that access may be had to the heads of the screws by a screw-driver or other like tool and the same turned, which could not be done with the back section in place, as said section would be in the way of turning the screw-driver. It is therefore necessary to have the back section removable in order to remove or replace the rear legs of the desk, so as to allow sufficient room for turning the screw-driver.

To make a firm joint between the back section and the end sections of the desk-body the latter are formed with rabbets m upon their inner sides and at their rear edges, as shown in Fig. 2 of Vthe drawings, the edges of the back section engaging the rabbets when said section is drawn'up against the rabbets to form a tight and perfect joint. The lower end of rabbet mwill expose suiiicient of the supporting-shoulder b to sustain the lower edge of the back section D, as shown in Fig. 5 of the drawings, thereby giving additional advantage of the rabbeted edges of the end section of the desk-body. The back section vD not being permanently attached to the desk-body by glue, nails, or other like means of fastening, but, on the contrary, designed wholly to be conveniently removed and replaced when circumstances require, it is necessary to provide some means of temporarily holding the back section in place that will not show from the outside of the desk-body. To attain this end, there is provided what is considered the most simple means of detach-A ably connecting the back section to the deskbody and that will draw the back section tightly against the rabbeted edges of the end section, which means comprises the pivoted hooks H I, adapted to engage the staples or eyes n. Any desirable number of hooks may be used and are arranged in pairs, each one of the hooks H I forming a pair, the hooksH being pivotally connected to the under side of the desk-bottom C and the hook I being similarly connected to the end section A, as shown in Eig. 5 of the drawings. The hooks comprising each pair are arranged at right angles to each other, an equal number of hooks being connected to the desk-bottom and to the end sections, forming a perfect fastening for the back of the desk.

Having now fully described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

l. In a desk in which the end, front, top and bottom sections are permanently connected together, suitable legs detachably secured thereto, said legs having upwardlyprojecting extensions to overlap the end sec= tions of the desk-body and shoulders to support the corners thereof, and suitable dowels upon the extensions to engage the end section from the outer sides thereof, and fastening means engaging the extensions of the legs from the inside of the desk-body to draw the extensions up against the end sections thereof, and a detachable back whereby the same may be removed to obtain access to the interior of the desk-body from the rear thereof to remove or replace the fastening means in disconnecting or connecting the legs, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

2. In a desk, the combination with the body thereof, having vertical strengtheningstrips secured to the end sections of the body which also form a continuation of the rear legs, of detachable legs having extensions formed with supporting-shoulders and over lapping flanges, the flanges upon the front legs overlapping the edges of the end section of the body and the flanges of the rear legs overlapping the lower ends of the strengthening-strips, substantially as and for the purpose described.

3. In a desk, the combination with the body thereof and a removable back section thereto, of detachable legs having extensions with supporting-shoulders, overlapping iianges, and dowels, and means for drawing the extensions against the end sections and the dowels into the dowel-holes of said sections, said means consisting of screws entering the end sections from the inner sides thereof and engaging the inner sides of the extensions of the legs, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

4. In a desk, the combination with the body thereof having the end sections of the body rabbeted at their rear edges, and suitable legs detachably connected to the body II Y and provided with supporting-shoulders, of a detachable back section engaging the rabbeted edges of the end sections and supported by the shoulders upon the rear legs, and suitable means for holding the back section removably in place, substantially as and forl the purpose set forth;

. In testimony that I claim the above Ihave hereunto subscribed my name in the presence of two Witnesses.

Y JAMES HOLMES Witnesses:

ERICK A. OLSON, PETER TURNER. 

